Sporting KC’s slide continues vs. Real Salt Lake. An ugly streak is forming
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- Sporting KC has won just twice in its last 11 matches, both vs Colorado Rapids.
- Saturday's 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake marks SKC’s ninth one-goal defeat in 2025.
- Defensive lineup yielded possession to RSL as SKC failed to equalize late.
Sporting Kansas City has won one game in its last nine tries. Since June 25 — a stretch of 11 matches — the club has only won twice, both times against the Colorado Rapids.
Things didn’t go much differently Saturday night at Real Salt Lake. Sporting found itself with a two-goal deficit before an RSL own goal gave the visitors a late lifeline. But the equalizer never came.
Diego Luna and Alexandros Katranis scored in the 2-1 Real Salt Lake win over SKC. Saturday marked Sporting’s ninth loss this season by exactly one goal.
Sporting KC’s record is now 7 wins, 17 losses, 6 draws (27 points).
SKC played a more defensive lineup Saturday, which meant the visitors conceded the shot counter and possession totals to RSL. The midfield trio’s most attacking player was Jake Davis, with Nemanja Radoja and Jacob Bartlett in the mix as well.
Interim coach Kerry Zavagnin said he felt his team did well defensively, outside of the goals.
“To give up the goal five minutes before halftime was a little bit disheartening, despite the fact that I don’t think we created a lot in the first half,” Zavagnin said. “That’s one of the things that you get when you play with a defensive-minded midfield with all three of them. So we knew that coming in we would have to defend well, certainly through the first half to leave it for the second half.”
Luna, a USMNT breakout star, gave Real Salt Lake a 1-0 lead in the 40th minute.
Twenty minutes later, Zavier Gozo provided a beautiful cross to Katranis at the back post, and he finished his chance expertly past SKC goalkeeper John Pulskamp.
“They have a lot of good individuals,” Daniel Salloi said of Real Salt Lake. “They can shine in different moments in the game. They know how they want to break a team down and they did it well.”
Salloi also called out the officiating crew for missing — at minimum — a yellow card for a tackle from Real Salt Lake defender Noel Caliskan, who appeared to make contact above Salloi’s ankle. Referee Drew Fischer did not give out a card, nor did VAR intervene.
“I’ve snapped my ligament a couple of times, and I know the feeling ... done it again,” Salloi said. “VAR didn’t check it. What can I say? It’s just normal. Didn’t even get a yellow card. Well done, MLS.”
Sporting’s lifeline came after Salloi’s cross intended for Dejan Joveljic was turned into the goal by Real Salt Lake defender Brayan Vera in the 71st minute. But the return of Manu Garcia and a slew of attack-minded substitutions couldn’t get Sporting an equalizer.
“I thought we put them under a significant amount of pressure,” Zavagnin said. “The goal was well deserved on our part. At the end of the day, the result was a bit disheartening. And I say that because once again, we see a group of guys who went out and gave everything they had, didn’t stop until the final whistle and came up a little bit short.”
Up next: Sporting KC takes on the Vancouver Whitecaps, led by Germany soccer legend Thomas Müller, next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Central.
Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.
This story was originally published September 13, 2025 at 11:10 PM.